Pain of a Blessed Hallelujah
by PageTurn
Summary: She tied you to a kitchen chair, She broke your throne And she cut your hair, And from your lips She drew the Hallelujah...RxB, violence, cruelty, slight shounenai


**Pain of a Blessed Hallelujah  
**...By PageTurn

**Rating:** T for violence  
**Summary**: She tied you to a kitchen chair...She broke your throne/And she cut your hair...And from your lips/She drew the Hallelujah...R/B, violence, cruelty.  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own or have permission to use the character associated with _Yu-Gi-Oh!_

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_I've heard there was  
A secret chord  
That David played, and  
It pleased the Lord  
But you don't really care  
For music, do you?_

Ryou let the tears fall down his face. They offered him savage comfort before they too left him alone, falling down his face and mixing with the blood of his newly formed wounds. They were his only friends now, his tears. They were the only things that sparkled in his life anymore. They danced around his face, embracing him, then laughing cruelly as they left crystalline trails down his cheeks to remind him of their betrayal.

_It goes like this:  
The fourth, the fifth  
The minor fall, the major lift  
The baffled king  
Composing Hallelujah_

"Why!" he had screamed. Or croaked, more like it. His yami had him in a death-grip around the neck, forcing all sounds to be shot down where they lay.

"Because," he sneered, "I'll be doing humanity a favor." He threw Ryou's body across the room. His broken body lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

Bakura grabbed him by the scuff of his shirt and hulled him up, almost gently, before crashing his broken body into the wall. Ryou's head made a sickening _thwack_ against the sturdy wood.

_Your faith was strong  
But you needed proof  
You saw her bathing  
On the roof  
Her beauty and the  
Moonlight overthrew you_

Bakura stilled held Ryou by the back collar of his shirt. He brought the smaller boy up to his eye-level, and was looking over his handiwork. Ryou was bloodied and tore, pieces of clothing and flesh fusing together in his wounds. He was beautiful.

_She tied you to a kitchen chair  
She broke your throne  
And she cut your hair  
And from your lips  
She drew the Hallelujah_

Ah, beautiful, peaceful darkness. After his Yami had thrown him into the wall, She had come, like an angel, stunning and wonderful. She had come to claim him, come to take him into blissful unconsciousness. But his yami had other plans.

When Bakura noticed Ryou's head lull to one side, he viciously backhanded him across his face. His head flew to one side, flowed closely by his hair. Blood that had been polling into Ryou's mouth was released of its prison, splattering against the pristine walls.

"No way, you little fuck. You're not getting out that easy." He stuck him again.

He was caught off-guard as Ryou's hand flew lightly up to rest on the arm that was keeping him off the ground. His head turned slowly, looking, for the first time, at Bakura in the eyes. His right hand, which was resting on Bakura's left arm (the one holding him in the air), fisting into the material as Ryou's body convulsed, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. He looked down, though only momentarily. He brought his left hand up and caressed Bakura's face. Bakura shivered from the cold contact, but did not push away.

"I'm sorry." He cupped Bakura's cheek. "I can't hold on." Ryou enjoyed the only contact he had ever shared with his yami, before letting darkness claim him.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

Bakura grunted. His released the boy, and watched as a bloodied trail was left from behind the boy's head. Perhaps he had thrown him to hard. Ah well. Didn't matter now did it? Did it ever?

_Maybe I've been here before  
I know this room  
I've walked this floor  
I used to live alone  
Before I knew you_

He turned on his heel without even a glance at Ryou. He walked to the full-length mirror and looked at him self in disgust. He was covered in Ryou's blood. The boy had dared to bleed on him, dared to cover him with his filth. He even had the audacity to touch him. Him!

Bakura stripped himself, and went Ryou's closet looking for descent cloths. He found some to his approval. He then proceeded to the bathroom, in order to rid himself of Ryou's grime.

_I've seen your flag  
On the marble arch  
Love is not a victory march  
It's a cold and  
It's a broken Hallelujah_

Bakura turned and looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. His lips curled in disgust, revealing his teeth. He could still feel where Ryou had poisoned him, as if it still burned in his skin. He growled and bent down. He turned the faucet on, making the water as hot as he could. He proceeded to scrub his hands, the scalding water burning painfully into his flesh.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

After being satisfied with his hands, he moved onto his face. He scrubbed it thoroughly, never believing he could get rid of Ryou's grimy touch. When he finally believed he was clean enough, he turned off the light and left the room. He returned once more to the doorframe of his hikari's room, drying his face with a towel. He removed it from around his neck, and tossed it to the bloody body; a salute.

_There was a time  
You let me know_  
_What's really going on below  
But now you never show  
It to me, do you?_

Heading down the hall, Bakura heard a soft moan come from the direction of Ryou's room. Interested, he headed back. Was the weakling really back to reality so soon? A smirk formed on his face. It was unusual, but easily remedied.

_I remember when  
I moved in, you  
Your holy dark  
Was moving too  
And every breath we drew  
Was Hallelujah_

Ryou had managed to pull himself into a sitting position, but there was little change from his previously heaped position on the floor. He moaned while doing so. Most of his ribs were cracked. He was breathing heavily, the colors of the room swirling in his eyes because of his lack of focus.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

He felt, rather than saw, his yami enter the room once more. When a shadow blocked some of the only light in the room, he slowly and painstakingly raised his head to look and the demon looming over him.

_Maybe there's a God above  
And all I ever  
Learned from love  
Was how to shoot  
At someone  
Who outdrew you_

Bakura looked down at his pitiful hikari, growling low in his throat. He saw Ryou's head look up at him sadly.

"Why?" he softly, almost inaudibly whimpered. "You know I love you. Why?" He gradually got softer and softer, 'til the last words were merely mouthed. Determined to break him, Bakura growled to him:

"I thought I told you. You're a pathetic wretch. You soil everything you touch, along with everyone. You're unworthy of the air which all the valuable people deserve. It's sad, really. How could a piece of filth such as yourself, curse us all with your birth? Curse me, to have to live along side and depend on a useless creature? It's I who should be asking why."

_It's not a cry  
You can hear at night  
It's not somebody  
Who's seen the light  
It's a cold and  
It's a broken Hallelujah_

Ryou tightened his mouth into a small frown in order to calm his trembling chin. He felt the tears reform behind his eyes. A small smile graced his features, and he simply nodded his head, before it fell again. Bakura raised a hand, as if to strike him. He then got out of the stance, and studied the back of his hand. He shook his head, silver locks following his movements. He studied the weeping creature below him, marveling at his beauty. Too bad it was wasted on such a miserable being like Ryou.

"You know, Ryou, I'm clean. I don't need to soil myself. I'm bored with slapping you around." With than, he put all his weight onto his left foot and kicked Ryou with his right. The sickening squelch of where his boot connected with Ryou's gut filled the room. He removed his foot before Ryou's new blood would fall from his mouth. He still wiped the toe of his boot on the carpet thoroughly. Ryou doubled over, coughing pitifully, before again slipping into darkness. This time it wasn't of pain, Bakura concluded. Ryou had lost a lot of blood. More so then usual. He sighed as he walked out of the room and down the stairs. It wouldn't do good to kill is other, would it? No, he needed the body still. He'd have to put up with him for a little longer. He sulked over to the phone in the kitchen, and, growling, he dialed the number.

"911, emergency response," came the dull reply over the line.

Bakura simply grunted. "Ambulance."

He knew they could figure out everything else on their own. He wasn't afraid of the mortal authorities. What would they do? Ryou's dad was away, and it's not like Ryou could bloody tell them his 'significant other' did it to him. He left the phone off the hook and walked deftly to the door. He opened it, stood outside the house, and took in a fresh breath of air.

He spotted Yugi and his yami walking down the road a few blocks over. They were teasing each other, openly showing affection. It was a popular street, so it wasn't odd to see them. Yugi was walking backwards, though in front of Yami. He was giggling happily, while Yami looked at his aibou with the deepest affection. By the time Bakura had reached the front gate and stepped out through it, Yami Yugi had sensed him. Bakura and Yami proceeded to glare at each other from opposite ends of the street. Yugi, finally noticing what had his yami's attention, turned to also roam the figure of Yami Bakura. It was odd to see him out at this time of day. Yugi therefore felt something very wrong. He inspected the house with his eyes, noticing red blotches splattered across a top floor window. Red blotches? Ryou was spotless….

"Ryou!" Yugi screamed before running across the street and streaking into the house. Yami caught on long before Yugi had, so he had more self-control. He crossed the street regally, stopping in front of Bakura and glaring fire at him. Even Bakura knew it was foolish not to be frightened of Yami, but they both knew that no attack could take place in the public eye. Bakura smirked at Yami, before turning to continue his walk. He didn't get far though. Yami caught his arm halfway into his turn. He could feel the other yami's fingernails biting into his skin, even through his jacket.

"What is it, pharaoh? Care to release that anger on me?"

Yami's eyes squinted in anger. "So help me, you asshole, I have no problem with hurting you right here now. Fuck the people. You know as well as I they forget what they don't believe."

Bakura chuckled. "Believe me, Yami, I know very well what you're capable of, and it's enough to make even Kaiba shit his knickers. But, I'm deadly in my own right as well. I've noticed your growing feelings for you little hikari, and I've always been known for revenge."

Yami simply scowled.

Yugi came running back out the door. "Yami! Come quick! I…I can't wake him up." His voice was trembling and tear streaks were clearly visible to the pair. He held his hands away from his body, shaking horribly with rich crimson. Bakura looked in Yugi's direction and smirked. He raised one eyebrow and Yami. "Care to prove me wrong?"

Yami released his arm. '_If looks could kill_,' thought Bakura. He smirked and walked away.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

- - - - - - - - ╘ ╓╫╖ ╛ - - - - - - -

That had been a little over 7 weeks ago, Ryou deduced, as he stared at the calendar on the wall. He had just forced his eyes open. He was surrounded with tubes and machines. His chest was heavily wrapped, but all the physical pain had disappeared, as if he slept it off., which he had. Ryou deduced that he must have been in a coma, which wasn't far from the truth. 7 weeks in this hell-dug coma-like state.  
The physical pain had disappeared, yes, but the emotional would scar him for much longer.

Ryou reached over and picked up one of the '_get well!_' cards off of the bed stand. He smiled as he read the writing. It was from Yugi. Dear, sweet Yugi. Ryou let the tears fall down his face, as he wrote something on both the inside of the card and back.

On the inside it read:  
_Thank you. For everything. Goodbye, my friend._

Ryou reached over to the stand again and laid the card and pen atop it. He sighed as he leaned back into his bed.

His yami would never look at him with love, never smile at him. Never be there to hold him or to consol him. But he was right. His yami didn't deserve this burden. He reached out to the Ring, and felt it at Yugi's. Good. Yugi would no what to do. He'd take care of Bakura.

He reached over to the numerous tubes that laced his body. He pulled them out as roughly as he could. The instruments around him began to scream with whistles and blaring horms. All the blood that was regained was lost. He sighed peacefully as he laid back into the comfortable pillows. He was rapidly growing tired, and closed his beautiful eyes contentedly. Ryou let the tears fall down his face.  
He began to sing softly to himself, and was only slightly aware of the dull sound of the dying heart-monitor as he let the darkness take him in her bosom and embrace her one last time.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

In untidy scrawl, tears sputtered into the paper of the card's backside:  
_To my Yami:  
I'll always love you. _

Forever.

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**Note 1:** "Hallelujah"  
By: Rufus Wainwright  
© Rufus Wainwright  
Shrek Soundtrack

**Nore 2: **This is a repost. As in _Love's Slave,_ this was previously posted under the name _Twilight Dreams_.

**Note 3: **There is a sequel to this story, soon to be released. Look for _I'm On My Way_ soon.

Till then,

PageTurn


End file.
